Sandy City Council Meeting – September 30, 2025
Sandy City Council Meeting – September 30, 2025
The Sandy City Council met on Tuesday, September 30, 2025, at 5:15 PM in City Hall and via Zoom. The meeting included an informational presentation on the Convention & Tourism Assessment Area (CTAA), a public hearing and unanimous approval of the Fortner Annexation, amendments to land development and business licensing codes for brewpubs, approval of a consent calendar, and standing reports. All council members were present.
Consent Calendar
- Unanimously approved (voice vote) the September 2 and September 9, 2025 draft meeting minutes, adoption of Resolution 25-45C (One Kind Act A Day Joint Resolution), and Resolution 25-48C (amendment to the 2025 City Council Annual Meeting Schedule).
Public Comments & Testimony
- No members of the public provided testimony during the General Citizen Comment period or during public hearings for the Fortner Annexation or the brewpub ordinance amendments.
Information Item: Visit Salt Lake Update on CTAA
- Visit Salt Lake and CTAA South District Committee members presented an update. Key statistics: Sandy has 8 hotels with 1,014 rooms, 70% occupancy, $120 average nightly rate, generating ~$25 million in room revenue last year. Visitors account for 27% of all spending in Sandy. The CTAA (approved October 2023) imposes a 2% assessment on hotel room revenue, reinvested in tourism development. In the South District (Sandy & Draper), 22 events were secured, expected to bring 243,000 attendees, 169,000 room nights, and $107 million in economic impact. Examples included USA Gymnastics Development Program (6,500 room nights, $7.1 million impact), Triple Crown Volleyball, and the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association World Championship. A recent Expedia campaign delivered a 7:1 return on ad spend. Council asked about future opportunities, especially with the Salt Palace renovation (demolition February 2027), and expressed appreciation for the partnership.
Public Hearing: Fortner Annexation
- Ordinance 25-24 annexed three parcels (8564 S. 1000 E. and 8590 S. 1000 E., total ~1.07 acres) into Sandy City, with zoning set to R-1-10 and R-2-10 to match adjacent properties. The Planning Commission forwarded a positive recommendation. No public comment was received. The ordinance was adopted unanimously (7-0) by roll call vote.
Discussion Items: Brewpub Licensing and Zoning Amendments
- Staff presented two ordinances: 25-22 (amendments to Title 21 Land Development Code) and 25-23 (amendments to Title 15 Business Licensing – Alcoholic Beverage Regulations). Both expand where brewpubs may operate, aligning with state law and allowing them in the same zones as restaurants with liquor licenses. Council debated the merits. Council Member Marci Houseman expressed concern that expanding brewpub zoning across the city could dilute the Cairns district's sports and entertainment hub strategy, arguing brewpubs should remain concentrated there. Council Member Zach Robinson supported the change to reduce restrictive code and let market forces decide. A public comment period with no participants was held.
- Ordinance 25-22 (Title 21 amendment) passed 6-1 (Houseman dissenting).
- Ordinance 25-23 (Title 15 amendment) passed unanimously 7-0.
- Council Member Robinson noted the process allowed healthy discussion.
Key Outcomes
- Approved unanimously: Fortner Annexation (Ord. 25-24), Consent Calendar items (minutes, resolutions), and Ordinance 25-23 (Title 15 brewpub licensing amendments).
- Approved 6-1: Ordinance 25-22 (Title 21 brewpub zoning amendments).
- No other votes were taken.
- The meeting recessed at approximately 6:26 PM and reconvened at Fire Station 31 for a tour, adjourning at 7:40 PM.
Council Member and Mayor Reports
- Council Member Robinson reported on a productive Sandy Ambassadors meeting about Alta Canyon and the well-attended Farmer's Market. Council Member Mecham thanked staff for the Heritage Festival. Council Member Stroud praised the Heritage Festival. Council Member Dekeyzer noted the Utah Mammoth ribbon cutting and Utah Foundation research agenda. Council Member Sharkey updated on the Salt Palace demolition and rebooking efforts. Council Member Houseman honored retiring Wasatch Front Waste & Recycling District Director Pam Roberts with a jersey.
- Mayor Zoltanski thanked council for the On Kind Act resolution, recognized the Community Emergency Management Planning event, highlighted the Heritage Festival (including a $10,000 donation from Rocky Mountain Power), reported an award for the Sandy General Plan, and announced the official Housing and Transit Reinvestment Zone (HTRZ) designation for the Cairns district, allowing up to $75 million in tax increment for infrastructure.
- CAO Shane Pace noted flu shots are available.
Meeting Transcript
Recording in progress. Dustin, are you able to hear me? Yes, we can. Okay, just checking my earbuds connected correctly. Thank you. I'll go back on the screen. Madam Chair, we're good to go whenever you're ready. All right, everyone. It is now 515, and I'll like to welcome you all to the Sandy City Council meeting this evening, September 30th. We will begin our meeting with a prayer and a pledge. Is there anybody that would like to volunteer to give the prayer today? Thank you. Our Father in Heaven, we come before thee this uh evening. We're thankful for uh the many blessings that we enjoy in this community. We're thankful for um the residents who live here and for um the effort they make to make this a wonderful community. We're grateful for these elected officials and we pray for them that they will make good decisions for the residents who live here. We pray Father that that would um please bless us as we go uh through these items tonight that uh they will be will be done, and we say this in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. And if you'll all stand and we can recite the pledge together. I pledge allegiance to the law of the United States of America and to the Republic for which one nation of the business with liberty and just girls. Thank you, everyone, and thank you, Mr. Pace, for giving the prayer. Uh we'll go ahead now and move into introductions, um, starting with you, Mr. Fratto. Thank you, Madam Chair. My name is Dustin Fratto. I'm with the City Council Office. There are a couple other council staff members in the back of the room as well. Uh Justin Swanson and Liz Terriel. My name's Tracy, I'm counsel for the council. Chris Edwards with the council office. Zach Robinson, District Three. Ryan Meekham, District 1. Brooke D'Asouza at large. Alison Stroud, District 2. Aaron DeKaiser at large. Cindy Sharkey at large. And Marcy Housman, District 4. I'm Shane Pace, City Administrator Mayor Zoltanski is here, and so is Lynn Pace, uh, our city attorney. I think they're just both finishing dinner. Okay, perfect. Uh I just wanted to quickly address our general citizen comment period. Our policy is that we won't take general citizen comment until um after 6 p.m. And so as soon as there is an appropriate break in the agenda, we'll go ahead and come back to uh general citizen comment. If you are here in the room and would like to make a comment, there are blue cards in the back on the table that you can fill out and then you can bring up to Mr. Fratto here or even Mr. Smartson in the back. Um and comment will be taken in the order in which they come in uh and online commenters at that time. You will be able to raise your virtual hand and you will be called on in the order that you have raised it. All right, so moving on. We are now at our item number one, which is an information item, and we have visit Salt Lake updating the council regarding the convention and tourism assessment area.
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